


The Next Ghostbusters

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Ghostbusters - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate - Freeform, Future, Gen, Next Generation, Reboot, Sequel, Series, possible, what if
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 23:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13844922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: Dr. Raymond 'Ray' Stantz is the last of the original Ghostbusters still residing at the firehouse.  With little work to be found and time working against them the team disbanded leaving Ray alone.  A friend and former student keeps Ray company and ends up joining him on an unexpected call.  It's during this call Ray is inspired to keep the business going and find the new members of the next team.





	The Next Ghostbusters

It was a quiet night in New York City. A light rain had soaked the street and filled the air with a light chill that smelled fresh.

The repurposed firehouse that had been the headquarters and the home to the Ghostbusters since 1984 sat dimly lit on the vacated empty street. The entire block had been deserted over the years due to hard times, however the Ghostbusters had managed to stay afloat with moderate funding and expert budgeting at the hand of the 'Heart of the Ghostbusters' and one of the three founding members of the company, Dr. Raymond 'Ray' Stantz.

A single light from the second floor window of the firehouse shone dimly through the old window and onto the street below. The famous 'no ghost' sign was dark and save for the light shining upstairs the firehouse looked deserted.

In the darkness a female figure walked down the street with a hood over her face and an arm load of Chinese food. Taking a ring of keys from her jeans pocket she unlocked the large door of the firehouse and let herself inside. Closing the door behind her she pocketed the keys and pulled her forest green hood down from her face. Her long brunette hair fell free and ran down her back to her waist while her hazel eyes scanned the interior of the building looking for any sign of her friend.

The iconic hearse dubbed Ecto-1 sat stationary in the center of the garage with the vacated receptionist desk a few feet behind it. An old ragged couch sat in decay against the far wall of the garage and four lockers were built into the opposite wall. Only one of those four lockers were currently in use, though all of the names of the former occupants remained on the locked doors.

Looking upward from the garage to the stairs leading to the second floor she called out to the lone occupant of the firehouse loudly. "Ray! You still here? I brought you something to eat!"

From the second floor of the firehouse, sitting alone in the small kitchenette, Ray studied a blueprint stretched out over the small round table and didn't respond to his guest's arrival.

"Ray?" She called again as she reached the top of the staircase. Seeing Ray sitting at the table lost in thought she just shook her head and carried the food over to him. "What are you working on now?"

"Oh, Sydney." Ray's mismatched eyes lit up upon seeing the young woman now standing beside him. While his hair was still dark in most places, it had thinned with several gray streaks and the dark circles under his eyes only emphasized that the engineer was carrying a major sleep debt and had aged considerably from when he first opened up for business. As he reached out to take some of the offered food from Sydney he accidentally bumped his arm against the walking cane he now used to get around, causing it to crash to the wooden floor loudly. "I'm glad to see you, and it's not just because you brought me some chow."

"Ray..." Dr. Sydney Gage playfully scolded her friend as she bent down to pick up his cane. "Why are you always making a mess?"

"Bad habit, I guess." Ray didn't mind her fussing over him. She was a medical doctor so to have her constantly worrying about his health or physical comfort was to be expected. "What brings you by?"

"I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd check in." Sydney replied confidently as she took a seat across from Ray.

"You were in the neighborhood?" Ray knew her better than that. "Doing what? Applying at a nearby hospital?"

"Bringing you some dinner." She slyly quipped as she eyed the blueprint curiously and changed the subject. "So... what are you working on now? Looks like a prototype."

"Well, that's the idea." Ray stated as he began to slowly eat his dinner. "But I'm having trouble getting the equation just right. I know this can work but I'm no physicist."

"Neither am I." Sydney reminded Ray sharply. "Switched majors. I even have a degree to prove it."

"But you still understand these equations better than I do."

Sydney sighed and set aside her carton of food as she looked down at the blueprints. She stared at the current equation for a few moments before taking a black Sharpie that was already sitting on the table and solving the equation on Ray's behalf.

"There. That should do it."

Ray looked at the solution and shook his head a little. "Thanks. I should've seen that hours ago."

"Don't worry about it." Sydney resumed eating her meal as Ray continued to draw out his schematics and make little notes on the side of the blueprint. "But I still think medicine is more interesting than physics. I'm glad Dr. Spengler continued to tutor me even after I switched my major. Don't think I could've have a better teacher."

"Yeah. Egon was... He was a real good guy."

The two sat in silence for only a few moments before Sydney spoke up once again. She had known Ray for a few years having been a star student under the late, great Dr. Egon Spengler's tutelage, but she still didn't know everything about him or why he continued to do the things he did.

"Ray, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why are you still here?"

The question seemed impersonal and a little cold, but it was meant only with scientific curiosity and concern for her friend's well being.

"What do you mean?" Ray quickly deflected as he stirred his food in the container with his pair of chopsticks.

"You know what I mean. It's been what... four years since... you know... _he_ passed away." Sydney was awkwardly trying to avoid saying Egon's name since it was still hard to believe that he had gotten so ill and passed on. "And about nine years since your last bust. It was only seven years ago when everyone retired; Dr. Venkman went to Europe and Mr. Zeddemore moved up the coast with his family. Why did you stay behind?"

"I... I don't know. I guess I just aren't ready to retire." Ray laughed a little before tagging on. "Give up the ghost so to speak. Besides, someone needs to make sure the containment unit stays in tact and stable. And that the proton packs don't fall into the wrong hands..."

"But it's not like you can even go out on busts anymore even _if_ you still got calls. With your leg in the rough shape it's in you wouldn't be able to heft around that proton pack of yours, let alone go on chases after ghosts or goblins or whatever might pop up."

"I know." Ray's hand reached down to his right knee and he gripped the sore appendage tightly. "But I can't leave. Not yet."

"But why?" Sydney finished her food and tossed the empty carton into the nearby trash can without getting up from the table. "What's holding you back? You deserve to retire. You deserve to have a life outside this firehouse and finally relax."

"Yeah... I guess I'm just not ready to move on. I know that events in the city have quieted down greatly over the past decade but I just have this feeling that my time here," he looked around the relatively empty firehouse nostalgically as he spoke. "it's not over."

Sydney didn't know what to say, if anything at all. She instead nodded respectfully and gave Ray a kind smile.

"Hard to believe it's been so long since we first started out." Ray sounded a little sad as he spoke. "We had no idea what we were really do, just a lot of careful calculations and even more hope that in the end everything would work out."

"Looks like it did."

"Yup." Ray sighed and folded the blueprint up with a morose facade. "Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right." Sydney joked to try to lighten the mood. "But what about, exactly?"

"Me. Maybe I _should_ retire." Ray's eyes were suddenly dull and full of defeat. Despite his advanced age Ray was still pry and full of energy, seeing him so tired and depressed made Sydney's heart ache. "I should go... Get out of here and-"

The red phone that had sat on former receptionist Janine Melnitz's desk began to ring. The unexpected noise caught Ray off guard as the rhythmic, high pitched ring echoed loudly through the brick building.

"What is THAT?" Sydney didn't recognize the sound and looked around confusedly.

"The phone!" Ray answered excitedly. He tried to stand up quickly but his knee protested and he had to lean down against the table to keep himself from falling over. "It's a call!"

"A phone? A call?" Sydney put her hand on Ray's arm sympathetically before racing down the stairs to answer the call. She reached out for the phone on the desk and shouted up to Ray who was still on the second floor. "This thing is still connected?" Clearing her throat she lifted the phone from the receiver and answered. "Ghostbusters. How may I direct your call?"

The voice on the other end of the line was barely intelligible as he shouted desperately and loudly at Sydney. She pulled the phone down from her ear and put her hand over the speaker. By that time Ray had managed to limp half way down the stairs with his cane in hand.

"Well? What's going on?" His eyes were alight with fire. A burning passion that only resonates with people who truly love their work.

"I have no idea what he's shouting..." Sydney confessed as she stretched out her arm and pointed the phone at Ray. "but I have a feeling it's for you!"

Ray took the phone and pressed it to his ear. Somehow Ray was able to understand the man frantically shouting on the other end of the line. A smile crept over Ray's face as he listened and eagerly handed the phone back to Sydney.

"What's up?" She asked as she hung up the phone and studied Ray's face.

"We have a call!"

"A... call? But we- You- I'm-"

"I know!" Ray dropped his cane as he put his hands on Sydney's shoulders and shook her playfully. "Isn't it exciting!"

"Whoa, time out!" Sydney called out as Ray hastily made his way toward the basement stairs. The basement still housed the containment unit that held countless ghosts within. It also housed the charging stations for the proton packs and ion traps that were always used during busts. "Ray! You can't go out there! Your leg..."

"I'll be fine!" Ray insisted as he hobbled clumsily back up out of the basement with a proton pack slung over one shoulder and trap over the other. "Just like old times!"

"Ray! Stop." Sydney kept her voice firm as she picked up Ray's cane for the second time that night. "You can't go out there! You're hurt and you'd be alone."

"I'm used to the pain." Ray boldly claimed as he fumbled to open the rear compartment of Ecto-1 and place the proton pack and trap in the storage rack still set up in the back. "And I won't be alone. You're coming with me!"

"What?!" Sydney's eyes went wide with shock. "But I'm not a Ghostbuster!"

"No, but you are my friend and Spengler's star pupil. I trust you to watch my back."

"But-"

"Come on!" Ray stumbled toward his locker and happily pulled the door wide open. Three jumpsuits, two tan in color and one in dark gray, hung from hangers in the center of the locker. A small black meter sat on the top shelf next to a glass jar with some kind of pink slime inside of it. What appeared to be a large pair of metal goggles hung from a hook off the inside of the door. The interior of the locker door was lined with newspaper clippings detailing all of the success the Ghostbusters had achieved during their time in the city. Ray selected one of the tan jumpsuits for himself and tossed the second over to Sydney, who barely caught it with her hands. "Suit up!"

"Suit... up... Ray! This is crazy!" Sydney held the jumpsuit out in front of her at arm's length. She noticed the name tag with 'Stantz' written in bold red letters against a black background. Even though Ray had years of experience Sydney couldn't let him go on the call alone, he could get hurt! "This is dangerous!"

"So is that guy's hotel."

"What guy? What hotel?"

"Our client." Ray barely managed to step into the legs of his jumpsuit without falling over. Using one arm to brace himself he slipped on his jumpsuit legs first, then pulled it up his back so he could slip his arms into the sleeves and zip it up to his chest. "He purchased the old hotel by the New York Public Library and when he began renovations this morning he stirred up one pissed off ghost!"

"Ray!"

"It's just one ghost." Ray defended as he limped over to the hearse and pulled open the driver's side door. "Come on, he needs our help."

"I..."

Sydney knew that there would be no way to talk Ray out of accepting the call. Instead she accepted her fate and stepped into the jumpsuit, which was a bit too big for her. As she zipped up the jumpsuit and saw how much it hung from her slender frame she removed her arms from the sleeves and tied the sleeves around her waist to keep it from slipping off of her body.

She looked at the hearse and visibly flinched. "We're taking this? Do seatbelts even come standard for this make and model?"

"Yeah, yeah. The car's old." Ray rolled his eyes a little. "Come on. Just one call! Pleeeeeeeaaaaaase?"

"Okay, okay! One call." With Ray's cane still in her hand she opened the passenger side door and sat down beside the eager Ghostbuster. "But after that we-"

"Let's go!" Ray pressed a small button on the visor above his head and the garage door opened automatically. He turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life with thunderous passion. Flipping on the lights and the sire the hearse took off from the firehouse and down the street to the hotel and subsequent scene of the call.

"Whoa, whoa!" Sydney quickly grabbed her seatbelt and buckled herself in as the hearse raced down the street at an relatively fast speed. "This thing can still actually move?! I thought it was just a fancy paperweight!"

"She can do a lot of things!"

"Can she stop? Right?!" The roads were still slick with rain which only made her all the more nervous.

"Probably! It's been a while since I checked on her brakes, but they were still good the last time I checked!"

Sydney pulled on her seatbelt to ensure it was as tight as possible and wrapped her hand around the handle on her car door. "If you kill me I'm coming back to haunt your ass..."

* * *

It didn't take long for Ecto-1 to arrive at the address of the hotel. It was late and the bright lights and loud siren were enough to draw a small gathering of curious onlookers who either looked out through the windows of their apartments as the hearse sped by or those working the late shift to poke their heads out the door and stare at the odd vehicle as it came to a stop outside the hotel.

"This is it!" Ray was just an excited and enthusiastic about the call as he had been back at the firehouse. "This is where the busting takes place!"

"We're alive?" Sydney slowly let go of the door handle and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wow..." She opened the door with a shaking hand just as Ray threw his door open and rushed to the rear of the hearse to open the compartment door. Sydney joined him and crossed her arms disapprovingly. "Who the hell taught you how to drive? Evel Knievel?"

"It wasn't THAT bad." Ray defended as he struggled to heft the proton pack onto his back. The process was difficult but he was determined.

"Here." Sydney stood behind Ray and helped him to slip the heavy pack onto his back and his shoulders. She didn't let go of the metal frame until she was certain Ray would be able to stand without falling over. "You good?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Ray took the thrower from its sheath on the side of the pack and held it between his hands. "Let's go in. Get the trap for me, will ya?"

Sydney watched tentatively as Ray limped slowly to the front entrance of the hotel. Looking at the gathered equipment in the rear of the hearse she assumed that the long, metal rectangular box with the yellow and black markings was the trap Ray wanted her to pick. Grabbing onto the long black cable that was attached to its back she mirrored Ray's earlier actions and slung it over her shoulder.

Ray bumped into the frantic owner of the hotel who hastily told Ray about the ghost and everything he had seen earlier that day. To Ray this kind of activity wasn't anything new or worrisome, it was busy as usual for the seasoned Ghostbuster but not his young friend who had begrudgingly accompanied him.

"This way Sydney." Ray waved her over to where he was standing. The owner fled the building while the two Ghostbusters entered. "It was spotted on the sixth floor. We'll take the elevator up and split up from there."

"Split up?" Sydney questioned as they walked over to the nearby elevator together. "But you have the pack and I have the trap. Shouldn't we stick together?"

"Nah. If I see it I can hold it in place with the proton stream until you find me and can toss the trap under it. If you find it you can turn on the trap to either catch or at the very least hold it at bay."

"Uh-huh..." Sydney folded her arms dubiously as the doors to the elevator parted. Stepping inside she continued to questions Ray's plan. "And how do we keep in contact if we split up?" She pressed the button for the sixth floor and the doors shut.

"With these." Ray took a radio from his belt and handed it Sydney. He had a second radio already attached to the strap of the proton pack. Switching his radio on he tested it once to make sure that the two radios could still read each other. "Can you hear me?"

"...Yeah." Sydney was standing next to him after all, but still, she could hear his voice over the radio in her hand.

"Good."

Sydney was about to say something but decided against it. She held onto the radio tightly and waited for the doors to open once they reached the sixth floor.

"Something on your mind?" Ray could see the little smirk on her face and knew she was holding something back.

"Well," She held up the radio in her hand and casually addressed it. "I was going to make a comment about soup cans on string but that seemed to easy."

"Aw, come on!" Ray laughed and the doors opened. "Why do you keep making cracks about my age?"

"I just work with what you give me..." She joked as they stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. "Now what?"

"First thing's first," he turned slightly so his back was toward Sydney. "switch me on."

"Uh..." Sydney eyed the pack and spotted a power switch discreetly place near the side of the pack. Flipping the switch from 'off' to 'on' the pack whirred to life with sound as well blue and red flashing lights. Upon seeing the nuclear powered device suddenly active she not to subtly took a few steps back and the side, worried that radiation may affect her.

"Don't worry, the radiation emitted is low level. About the same as a microwave."

"Right... So what's the next step."

"We look for the ghost." Ray turned and looked down the Eastern corridor and nodded. "I'll go this way. You go the opposite. Since the halls just loop around we should meet up at the middle and be able to flush out the ghost."

"Great. Sounds... great."

The duo split up and slowly walked down their respective hallways. Ray couldn't help but reminisce about the very first bust that he, Peter and Egon had all gone on together at the Sedgewick Hotel. It was the call that made them famous and solidified their place in history. With his bad knee Ray was moving slower than Sydney but was still able to walk at a respectable pace that nearly matched her own.

Sydney turned the corner of the hall and stared aimlessly ahead. She didn't know what she was looking for or why she had even agreed to go with Ray. While a part of her knew that Ray would be okay by himself another bigger part of her told her that she should never turn her back on a friend or let a friend go anywhere potentially dangerous alone.

A sudden crash from a room to her right made Sydney jump in surprise then freeze. From beneath the door she could see what looked like the shadow of someone pacing back and forth behind the closed door.

Tightening her hand around the bulky, old radio she turned it on and called for Ray. "Well, if the proton pack doesn't give me cancer then this thing will!" She sarcastically remarked as she pressed down the 'talk' button. "Come in Ray."

" _Sydney. You find it_?" Ray's voice was surrounded by static but still completely audible.

"I think so." She looked at the number on the door and reported it to Ray. "Check behind door 611."

" _Okay, I'm on my way_! _Stay put_!"

"Yeah, sure." Letting her arm fall to her side Sydney just watched as the figure behind the door continued to pace back and forth slowly. A faint blue mist began to pool under the door toward Sydney and the air cooled quickly. She watched as her own escaping breaths disappeared into puffs before her eyes. "Wow... This is so..."

The handle on the door began to rattle and shake violently as if someone was desperately trying to open the door. Sydney's eyes went wide as she watched the handle rattle and soon the entire door was quaking with whatever force was behind it. Pushing her fear aside Sydney reached a hand out to the handle and grabbed on. As soon as her hand touched the handle all motion stopped and everything was quiet.

Slowly she turned the handle and found that the door was unlocked. It opened slightly and she retracted her hand.

Stepping back she watched as the door opened fully to reveal a humanoid male figure standing inside the doorway. His entire body was a transparent blue with blue mist wisping about his entire form. His eyes were a piercing amber color and shined like the sun. The man looked as though he was in his twenties but from the colonial age back in the late 17th century.

"Uh... hi." Sydney greeted the ghost, unsure of what she should do. "I'm... I'm Sydney."

The ghost didn't respond verbally. A faint smile creased his lips as he stared at her.

"Um... why... why are you here?"

The ghost tilted his head slightly to the side as if the question was too ridiculous to be answered.

Ray spotted Sydney standing outside the opened door of the haunted room and could see a blue glow emanating from the room and reflecting off of her.

"Sydney! The trap!"

"Huh?" Sydney turned to look at Ray quickly before returning her attention to the ghost. As soon as she made eye contact with the ghost it outstretched its hands and unleashed a torrent of blue ectoplasm from his opened palms that soaked her from head to toe!

"Sydney!" Ray rushed over to Sydney as she fell to the floor completely drenched in the thick ectoplasm. "Syd? Are you hurt?"

"N-No." She stammered awkwardly as the shock of the ectoplasm mixed with the sudden cold chilled her to the bone. Using the back of her arm she wiped the ectoplasm from her eyes and away from her mouth. "J-Just c-c-cold."

Ray looked back into the room and saw the ghost standing there watching her with a blank expression. A sense of protection washed over Ray and he placed himself firmly between Sydney and the ghost.

"Watch how an old pro handles it..." Ray powered up his thrower and took aim at the ghost. As the proton stream erupted from the end of the thrower the room and hallway lit up in a wave of yellow light. The stream easily snaked around the ghost and held it in place. Even as it struggled to break free it was no match for the power of the proton pack. "Now, the trap!"

Sydney reached her up to her shoulder to grab onto the cable of the trap that was still draped over her and grabbed onto it tightly.

"Now, slide the trap forward and when I say press the release trigger at the end of the cable. Don't look into the trap!"

Ray was fighting to keep his feet planted as his bad knee was beginning to buckle from the physical strain. A strain that Sydney quickly took notice of and began to worry about.

"Okay..." Obeying Ray's instructions Sydney placed the trap down on the floor before her and pushed it into the room, slipping it past Ray's legs. The trap came to a rest right in front of the ghost and she waited for Ray's cue.

"Now!"

Reacting quickly Sydney pressed the release trigger on the trap and turned her gaze away from the bright white light that burst through the wide open doors on the top of the trap. The ghost screeched angrily as the ionized energy enveloped it and pulled it deep down into the trap with little resistance.

"Close it! Close it!" Ray shouted as he turned off his proton stream and watched the doors of the trap snap shut and seal the ghost away inside.

Wisps of smoke poured out from the trap as the little red light near the handle began blinking to indicate its current occupancy.

"We got it." Ray sighed as he sheathed his thrower and limped into the room to pick the trap up by its handle. "Good work."

"Yeah..." Sydney pushed herself up from the ground and proceeded to wipe the ectoplasm from her shirt and off of her arms. "Can we go back to the firehouse now? I need a shower..."

* * *

Proudly Ray returned to the firehouse, eager to show Sydney the proper procedure in depositing ghosts into the containment unit and locking them up. Sydney, who was still covered in ectoplasm watched Ray while shivering slightly. She held Ray's cane in her hand and waited for him to finish his explanation so she could go shower off.

"...and that's all there is to it!" Ray set aside the empty trap and turned around to look at Sydney. "Any questions?"

She handed Ray his cane and gave him a slightly annoyed look. "Yeah, can I finally get this slime off of me?"

"Yeah, sure." Ray accepted his can and readily leaned against it. "I'd like to take a sample for further study if you don't mind."

Sydney shook her head as she untied the sleeves of the jumpsuit from around her waist and stepped out of it. Handing the slime covered garment over to Ray she marched up the stairs out of the basement to seek solace within a nice, warm shower.

* * *

Ray was sitting in the small lab on the first floor with a slide containing a sample of the blue slime under the microscope while Sydney was showering off and warming up. The night had become unexpectedly frantic and full of commotion for the Ghostbuster, but the excitement did his heart good. It was nice to leave the firehouse and be able to help someone again, even if that someone was total stranger who he'd never see again.

Sydney stood in the shower and let the water wash away the blue ectoplasm from her hair and her skin. Finally warm she stepped out of the shower and slipped on a pair of gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt that she had found stored in the linen closet with the towels.

As Ray took his notes he couldn't help but glance over at his slimed jumpsuit and smile. "Man, you'd love this Egon. Blue slime is rare." Peering through the lens of the microscope he continued to think out loud. "Peter'd hate it but since he was the one who always seemed to get slimed I don't blame him. But Winston always took a sliming in stride. Wish you were all here right now..."

Sydney walked down the stairs as she rubbed a dry towel over her wet hair. Joining Ray in the lab she sat down on the stool beside the desk and waited for him to say something.

"Feel better?"

"Much." She tossed aside the damp towel and leaned against the desk. "How's your knee?"

"Sore."

"Thanks for... you know."

"Catching the ghost?"

"No. Well, yes. But I meant thanks for taking me on the bust with you. It was... interesting."

"You're welcome. Thanks for going. It was always a rule that no one ever went out on a bust alone."

"Can't have you breaking any rules now, can we?"

"You know..." Ray lifted his eyes from the microscope and he looked at Sydney was confidence. "it'd be nice to have a team again. If one ghost can cause that much excitement then we should be prepared to deal with even more."

"Ray, are you saying you want to go out busting ghosts again? I don't think that's a good idea! Your knee is only going to get worse."

"You're right." Ray admitted. "But I can still go out and handle small busts. But eventually even those will be too difficult."

"So what're you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'd like to train you. I want you to be my apprentice and the leader of a new team of Ghostbusters."

"What?" Sydney almost laughed at the notion. "One bust does not a Ghostbuster make! I can't lead an entire team just because I watched you use the proton pack and I sent out the trap."

"Which is why I want to train you."

"Ray..."

"Before you say 'no', let me ask you something." He sat up straight and folded his arms across his chest. "Earlier you asked me why I never left, can you tell me why you got a degree in medicine but won't take any job offers and work at a hospital?"

Sydney turned her gaze briefly but turned back to Ray. "Well, to be honest the job has too much human contact for my liking. I see the worst of humanity every day and I can't take it! The pain, the misery, the death... It was too much for me to handle."

"But you _can_ handle seeing a ghost without becoming overwhelmed." Ray pointed out smugly. "This company was founded by three doctors: a physicist, a psychologist and an engineer. So it'd make sense to have a doctor of medicine on the team. Sure, Winston had some emergency medical training in the marines and me and Egon were both pre-med, but it would've been handy to have a medical doctor with us."

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Sydney quipped sternly.

"Maybe for _us_ , but not for a _new team_!"

"Ray..."

"I know it's a long shot but I feel like this is why I couldn't leave the firehouse. I couldn't leave until I knew for sure that the Ghostbusters were still watching over the city. Once I have a new team to pass the torch to I'll be able to move on. Please."

"But... what if I can't handle it?" Sydney asked sincerely, her voice heavy with self doubt and reluctance. "Tonight could've just been a fluke. If I can't handle the living how can I be expected to handle the dead?"

"Then I won't push you. Just give it a little time. Try it out for say... six months. Just six months. If in those six months you don't feel like you're up to the task of leading a team or being a Ghostbuster then you can at least help me find a new team and we can both leave this behind and move on with our lives."

Sydney could see the glimmer of hope in Ray's eyes. The kindness in the engineer's voice was too compelling and his offer was fair. Let out a defeated sigh Sydney flashed Ray a smile and nodded. "Alright. So when do we begin?"

_**-The End (?)** _


End file.
